Half the Dad
by Berserker Nightwitch
Summary: Jess and Luke have a talk in the hospital after Jess' daughter is born. Future AU. Literati. Possible JavaJunkie if that's how you want to see it.


Disclaimer: Not mine. Gilmore Girls belongs to whoever owns it (too lazy to look right now), and the song "He Didn't Have to Be" belongs to Brad Paisley.

A/N: So this story kind of went off-track near the end, but I tried to bring it back. It just struck me as I was preparing my lunch, so I had to write it. Hope it isn't too horrible.

* * *

"All of a sudden  
Oh, it seems so strange to me  
How we've gone from 'Something's missing'  
To a family

Looking back, all I can say  
About all the things he did for me  
Is I hope I'm at least half the dad  
That he didn't have to be."

* * *

Jess smiled gently when he looked into the room. There was his wife, holding his baby girl. He felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder and looked behind him to see Luke. The man was holding a stuffed whale (bears were overdone, and this was a tribute to 'Moby Dick'), and watching the scene with almost the same amount of pride as his nephew. When he had taken the then-teenager in, he never could have imagined this scene in the future.

"Hey Luke?" Jess spoke softly. Luke moved his eyes down to meet Jess' gaze. "Thanks. For all you've done. I wouldn't be here right now if not for you."

"You would've gotten here eventually."

"I doubt it. Before Liz sent me to you I was on a fast-track to prison, death, or a lifetime as a bum. We had a lot of problems, but you got me through so much. I think you were the first person who didn't give up on me. It's thanks to you that she gave me another chance," Jess finished, motioning toward the new mother in the hospital room.

"You already had so much going for you, Jess. I just tried to point you in the right direction."

"Thanks. Really."

"You're welcome. Now go see your daughter." Luke stifled a chuckle when Jess eagerly walked into the room, kissed his wife, and eased the baby into his arms. No one would have thought it when the young man was seventeen, but Jess was a natural with children. Jess looked up from his baby girl's face to smile at his uncle again. He shifted the baby so she was resting in one arm, and reached one finger of the other hand to gently trace her features. The baby made a noise, then reached out to grip his finger with her tiny hand.

Jess looked to his wife, then to his uncle. He returned his gaze to the mother of his child, and she nodded at him. He rose to his feet and walked the short distance to Luke. "Luke, I want you to meet your great niece/granddaughter. This is Lorelei Elizabeth Mariano. We're going to be calling her Beth for short."

Luke smiled down at the baby girl, but looked back up in shock when Jess started to hand her to him. "Jess, I'm not all that great with babies."

"You'll do fine," Jess affirmed. He cut off any further protest by handing the child to Luke. The diner owner adjusted his grip on her, watching in awe and amazement as the baby fell asleep in his arms. He continued to stare at her for another full minute before realizing there were eyes on him. He looked up and saw three intent gazes. Two were filled with love, peace, and joy. The final, closest face had the love and joy, but the peace was replaced by worry.

"What is it, Jess?" Luke asked gently, knowing Jess would never run like Jimmy or Christopher had. Jess took a deep breath and rubbed his hands against his thighs, as if to wipe off sweat.

"Do you think I'll be good enough?" he finally questioned.

"Good enough for what?"

"For her. Can I be even half as good to her… as you were to me?" Jess had dropped his gaze halfway through the question. Luke smiled and shifted the baby to one arm. The other arm he wrapped around Jess's shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you. And you will be an amazing father."

"You'll have both of our biological fathers beat, hands down," Rory piped in from the hospital bed. Lorelei nodded seriously, then pulled Jess into her own hug.

"And if you ever need help, with anything, Luke and I will always be here for you," she promised.

"Thanks." He smiled at his family, the most important people in his life. He took his baby girl back from Luke and sat at the edge of Rory's bed. She sat up to hug him, and he kissed her again. Suddenly there was a click behind them, and they turned to see Lorelei slipping the camera back into her pocket.

"Now you'll have your first family picture."

* * *

A/N 2: There you go. It's done. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


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